Intense
by TsunaMoshi
Summary: What is my view on what World War III would be like? Here's your answer. Our favorite heroes will battle the greatest threat of their lives; after having a little fun that is. Follow them through the drama, pain, fun, etc...rated for Language and Themes...Tony/Steve
1. Chapter 1

**Intense**

Tony was a little more than fed up with his life. Pepper was constantly driving him up a fricken wall. People became harder to impress. He wanted to get away from it. He stormed into the penthouse and walked into his bedroom. "**Sir, may I ask where you are headed**?"

"I don't know, JARVIS...I'll figure it out."

"**Captain Rogers was looking for you earlier...he expressed his worries about you**."

"That reminds me, can you find him if he's in the building...he's coming with me. He's about the only person I don't have on my shit list..."

"**Right away, sir**."

"Thanks." Tony packed a bag full of clothes and then a smaller one with things from his bathroom, then packed a bag of Steve's stuff. Steve walked into the penthouse a few minutes later. "Tony?"

"Oh, thank god you're here..." Tony walked out of his room carrying the bags. "We're going on a trip."

"A trip?"

"Yes, a trip. I got you a bag ready, and we should be leaving about… now."

"Whoa...Tony, what is this all about?"

"I just feel like getting away for a while..."

Steve didn't question further. They left Stark Tower on their way to god-knows-where.

Tony parked the car at a hotel for the night. He sat on the bed. Steve walked into the room towel drying his hair. He was shirtless and wearing baggy sweat pants. He tossed the towel onto the back of a chair, and then crawled onto the bed. "You seem bothered by something, Tony...Will you tell me what it is, now that we aren't in Stark Tower?"

"I'm just so fed up with it...I just need this little vacation to cool off and get a clear head...you know?"

Steve nodded. "Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure..."

Steve laid on his back, staring at a water stain in the ceiling. Tony looked over at him. He moved to sit on top of him, and stared directly into his eyes. "Plus...this gives me alone time with you..."

"I can't complain..." Steve smiled and placed his hands on Tony's thighs. Tony leaned forward, with one hand placed on the bed on each side of Steve's head. He placed their foreheads together. "I love you, Steve...thank you for being the only person I'm not pissed off at right now..."

Steve chuckled. "You're welcome...and I love you too."

Tony met Steve's lips softly, but let it grow into a passionate kiss. Tony trailed one hand down Steve's _perfect_ body, feeling the muscles ripple from the sensitive touch. His tongue broke into his companion's mouth and explored every part it could, Steve willing. He broke off from his mouth and started to kiss his neck, finding all of his weak spots and exploiting them. Steve moaned and moved his hands up to curl his fingers around the hem of Tony's shirt. He removed it quickly, letting Tony return to what he was doing. The Arc Reactor's white-blue light lit up Steve's eyes as he looked into them. "You're amazing, you know that? _Perfect _body, _perfect _man, and _fantastic_ sex partner…"

Steve chuckled. "I have a feeling that you wanted _this _more than you wanted to get away from your life…"

"That's only mostly right…"

Steve took Tony's head in his hands. "This is the billionaire playboy talking?"

"Meh…" Tony grinned in a cocky way. Steve kissed him passionately. "That was uncalled for," Tony growled.

"A closed mouth gathers no flies."

"Yes, but an open one does more than just speak…"

"There you go again…" Steve pulled him down to kiss him again, but Tony turned his head and his lips met a sensitive spot on his neck. He shivered from the touch. "That was a dirty move…"

"In more ways than one…"

He let go of Tony's head and placed his hands back on his thighs. Tony repositioned himself to be laying on top of him, and laid his head on his arms. "I think I like this view…"

"You sure? It's not the ocean view in Malibu, or a great view of the streets of New York."

"Oh surely, this is the best."

Steve smiled a brilliant "aw shucks" smile, which sent Tony sky high. And then he yawned. It clearly caught him off guard. He felt Steve's chest rumble below him as he chuckled. "A little play time, and you're all set for bed?"

"Play time? Don't ever consider explaining sex to a child. And I don't know why I yawned. I'm not tired whatsoever."

"Your body says different…"

Tony remembered that Steve had been worried about him. He hadn't slept, and he barely ate as he tried to raise the bar on his own life to make others happy. _I must look like hell…_

"It's been days since you've slept, Tony. I know, because I would be haunted by my past's visions in my sleep, and I had no where to go."

Tony frowned. "Well, I'm here now…"

Tony was suddenly on his back, and staring _up _at his blonde companion, who had traded their positions. Tony wrapped his legs around Steve's waist, hooking his feet together. Steve buried his face in the space between Tony's neck and shoulder, breathing in his scent. Tony rocked his hips, and smirked when Steve jerked his head up to glare at him, a red blush forming on his face. "Tony!"

"What? My play time isn't over yet…"

He continued to rock his hips. He felt heated, and sweat beaded up in his brow. He grinned as he got a satisfactory moan from Steve. He wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and pulled him in to kiss him. It was a rough kiss, attuned to the moment. He let his companion explore his mouth, and he shuddered and moaned from the feeling. Steve's hands were free to roam. He trailed one down Tony's body and tinkered with the button and zipper of Tony's pants. Tony unhooked his feet and placed them on the bed, leaving himself open. He yawned again, breaking their kiss. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Steve chuckled again, panting from the lack of oxygen. "Is play time over for Tony?"

"N…no…We've only just begun!"

"But we have an entire vacation together…"

Steve laughed when Tony pouted, a very pitiful look that didn't fit him well. Tony hit him in the chest. "Don't laugh at me!"

Steve shook his head, trying to contain his laughter. "I-I'm sorry, Tony…But…ha…that was something…"

Tony yawned yet again, and threw his arm over his eyes. "I give up!"

Steve plopped down next to him and laid his chin on Tony's chest. "I looove you."

Tony looked at him from the corners of his eyes, then sat up slightly to look at him fully. His motion made Steve's head roll over and fall into his lap. He smiled up at Tony, fully and brilliantly. Tony half smiled and ran a hand through Steve's still damp hair. "Yeah…I love you too."

He couldn't resist those blue eyes, and how he felt they could see straight through him. They were always so bright in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony's insomnia kicked in, but he had no where to go to cure it. Steve had an arm over his face and a hand on his stomach, one leg off the edge off the bed and the other with his knee bent and his foot braced firmly on the bed. He was a very quiet, heavy sleeper. Tony liked that. If his insomnia acted up, such as he was suffering then, he could get up and not disturb the sleeping blonde. He was working through blueprints on his laptop computer, touching the screen to make adjustments to his work. He heard the bed creak. He looked over and Steve had just rolled onto his side, both legs on the bed. He looked back at his laptop. Steve groaned and turned over again. He didn't think much of it until Steve started to mumble. He turned to look. His back was turned from him, but he looked tense. "Steve…"

He got up and walked across a soft carpet, and then onto the tile floor to the side of the bed Steve was on. His mumbling was more distinct then. "Nn…no…d-don't…"

"Steve…"

"I-I didn't…" His face was wet with sweat, his eyebrows furrowed like he was angry, or in pain. Tony went to touch him when he cried out like he was shot. Tony jumped. Steve rolled over and his head hit the ground with a loud thud. His muscles were inducing spasms like he was having a seizure. Tony sat on top of him and pinned his arms down. "Steve!"

"Get off me! Get off!" He was still very well asleep.

"Steve, wake up damnit!"

The super-soldier's eyes snapped open and he jolted up, slamming his head into Tony's chest. Tony wrapped his arms around him to reassure him that he was safe. Steve's chest moved rapidly with his breaths. He unwrapped his arms from around Steve and held his head out at arms length. "Are you okay?"

He could only nod. "Everything is fine, Steve…"

"Did I…wake you?"

"No…I've been awake…"

"Really…?" Steve wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "What time is it?"

"About 3 in the morning…"

"Gee, really?"

Tony kissed his forehead. "Sounded pretty intense…"

Steve didn't respond. His blue eyes were out of focus. "Steve? Hey, Steve…"

He gave him a slight shake. His focus returned and he flinched away. "Steve…what the hell?"

"S-sorry…I-uh…" He tried to get up but Tony pinned him down. "T-Tony…"

"Tell me what's wrong…"

"N-nothing…"

"You're stuttering! Obviously there's something wrong…Tell me!"

"Stop yelling at me!" Steve snapped. Tony reflexively put his arms up to protect himself. Steve didn't lash out at him. He lowered his arms and looked. Steve had lost focus again, staring up at the ceiling, but seeing nothing. He took Steve's head again into his hands. It was extremely wet. He pulled a hand away to look at it. It was illuminated by his Arc Reactor slightly, but could see it wasn't sweat. He jolted up quickly and turned on a lamp. Blood stained his hand. He wiped it onto his pants, not really caring about the mark it made. He grabbed the towel Steve had draped over the back of a chair and went back to his side. He lifted his head gently and placed the towel there, placing as much pressure as possible. "Steve…respond to me, Steve…this should be hurting you…"

Steve made no such attempt. He looked into his eyes, which were glossy. "Damnit, Steve…"

There was a knock at the door. "Is everything alright in there, Mr. Stark?"

"No! Call an ambulance! And quickly!"

The sound of keys and the lock clicking open was heard, and then the door opened. The manager walked in quickly, phone in hand. "What happened?"

"No questions, just hurry! He's losing blood fast!"

Five minutes later, the sound of Ambulance sirens drew people from their rooms to see what had happened. Tony's anxiety levels skyrocketed as he watched Steve be put in the back of the ambulance. "Do you want to ride with him?"

"…N-no…I need to drive my car."

The EMT nodded, then jumped into the back, and closed the doors. Tony quickly gathered their things, put on a long sleeve shirt and jacket, and tossed everything into the car. The time display was bright in the dark. He sped down the street trailing the ambulance.

At the hospital, he paced around in the hall. The doors at the end of the hall flew open. Pepper, and the Avengers strolled down the hall quick. "What happened!"

"What happened? I thought I told you what happened?"

"The real story, Tony."

"That was the real story! He fell off the bed."

Clint grimaced when he thought about how hard of a fall it had to have been. Tony continued to pace. "You think _I _had something to do with it? I love him too much! I would never, _ever _in the world think about doing something to him like that!"

"I didn't blame you, Tony…"

"Then why don't you believe me?" He stopped walking and held his hands out to his sides. "Hm? He had a nightmare, he spazzed out and fell to the floor. It was a tile floor, mind you…"

Bruce stepped forward. "Tony, you look like hell…"

"Thanks, Brucie…just what I needed to hear!" He turned around and started to pace again. The doctor stepped into the hallway. "Mr. Stark…"

Tony turned mid-stride. "Yes?"

The doctor noticed all the people, then looked back at Tony. "Come with me…"

Tony walked with the doctor into the room. "He's fine, right?"

"There wasn't any significant damage done…a slight bruise to his brain…that's why his focus was so fuzzy."

"What about the spasms?"

"Just a pinched nerve…It's a good thing he has a hard head or it could have been a lot worse…His focus may fade in and out for a couple of days, but he should be fine. We patched up his head. He's asleep now, but it shouldn't be long before he wakes up…"

Tony sighed in relief, and then grew tired. The anxiety was lifted and all that was left was an aching body. The doctor took him into Steve's room. "There's the couch there…try to get some sleep, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah…"

The doctor left and closed the door. Tony molded into the couch and fell asleep quickly, and had a dreamless sleep.

He awoke to a petite nurse staring down at him. "Are you feeling well, Mr. Stark?"

He sat up slowly, trying to remember where he was, and if he was hung over. "Uh…yeah."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Sure, sure…whatever you have…"

She smiled slightly. "Mr. Rogers awoke a while ago and asked for breakfast…he noticed you were asleep and asked me to bring you something when you awoke…He also asked if we drugged you."

Tony chuckled, despite him remembering the night's occurrences. "Thank you…"

She left the room and closed the door. Tony got up and walked up to the bed. He placed a hand gently on Steve's arm. "Tony…"

Tony breathed in loudly. "Steve…"

Steve opened his eyes. "You were asleep…did they drug you or something?"

"No…I got here, found out you were okay and kind of...passed out."

He saw relief wash over Steve's face. "I'm glad…"

"How do you feel?"

"Okay…the pain medication is doing well."

"Not yet it's not…"

Steve turned his head to the side to look at him in curiosity. "Why do you say?"

"You're not mental yet."

"What does that mean?"

"When the medication is _really _working, it makes you feel like you're high. You see things, or pretty much lose your mind."

"Oh…"

"I give it a few more minutes…"

The nurse brought him a tray. "Here you are, Mr. Stark…Would you like anything Mr. Rogers?"

"No thank you…"

She left again. Tony sat on the couch and dug into the hospital version of French toast and sausage links. In the midst of eating, he looked up to see Steve staring at his own hand. _And so it begins…poor Steve. _He decided to have a little fun. He set the tray aside and went up to the bed. "Whatcha got there, Steve?"

"…I…I don't know…but it moves!"

"It's your hand, Steve…See, I have one too."

Steve took hold of Tony's hand, and realized he had another one of his own. "There's two!"

"I have two as well…" He held up his other hand. Steve stared in astonishment. Tony was inwardly on the floor laughing. "Do you want to see something cool?"

"Yes!"

Tony took his hand back and turned it so the back was facing Steve. "Watch closely." He bent his thumb over so it looked like it was gone. Steve's face turned to terror. "WHERE IS IT! WHERE DID IT GO!"

He grabbed Tony's hand and stared where the thumb used to be, never turning the hand over to look. "PUT IT BACK!"

Tony moved his thumb back and Steve smiled. "Oh…okay, good…"

He patted Steve on the head. "You poor, mental soul."

There was a knock on the door. Steve looked at it wildly. "IT MADE NOISE!"

"Come in!"

It opened and on cue, the crew waltzed in. Steve started to laugh. "THEY WALKED THROUGH THE THING!"

"Pain meds?" Bruce asked.

"Big time…"

They all assembled around the bed. "HELLO PEOPLES THAT WALKED THROUGH THE PORTAL THING…"

Clint turned around and laughed. Natasha slapped his arm. "Hi, Steve…"

"WHUUUT? MY NAME IS STEVE? STEEEVEEE…"

She face palmed. Bruce kept his composure. "How much did they give him?"

"I have no clue…"

Steve started to bounce on the bed, and started to click random buttons on the TV remote. "It's a start…he's using the TV correctly."

The channels flipped left and right. Tony grabbed the remote and flipped back a channel where footage of the night before was being played. Steve stared at the screen. His face looked serious, for all of about five seconds. "HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BOX UP THERE?"

"I climbed…" He kept his eyes on the screen, frowning deeply. The others watched it too. Steve smashed his elbow against the table and flipped out. "FFFUUUCCKK…"

Tony lost his total composure and started to laugh. It was the first time he'd ever heard him say the word, out loud, and quite the meaning of _loud_. Clint was laughing too. Natasha and Bruce were staring at him. "MY ELBOW…SHIT…THAT FUCKING HURT. SSSHIIT."

"Wow Captain, never knew you had it in ya," Clint said.

"AAAHHH MY FUCKING-" Tony covered Steve's mouth with his hand.

"Shhh…stop yelling, Steve…or they'll sedate you…"

Steve licked Tony's hand. "EW! Steve!"

The blonde had a large grin on his face. "FU-"

Tony covered his mouth again. "You're a sonofabitch, you know that?"

He broke between Tony's fingers with his tongue. Tony jerked it away and wiped it on his pants. "That's disgusting, Steve…"

"…HOLY SH-"

Tony stopped him with his mouth. The others turned away. The little nurse walked in and stood staring, head to the side like "Awwwww that's so cute!" and then left. Tony pulled away. Steve remained silent. "Better?"

"Mhm…thanks, Tony."

"Do you have your own mind back?"

"I think so…"

"Good."

The others turned back. "How much did they put you on, Steve?"

"Not sure…the dosage is up there somewhere…"

Clint and Natasha presented him with Hershey's Kisses. "Something sugary for you…it might help."

"Hey…thanks."

Natasha looked at Tony. "So, are you still going to go off on some adventure somewhere?"

"It depends if Steve's up to it…"

Steve looked up from the bag of Kisses. "That's right! I'm sorry, Tony! Your trip…"

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault…"

"I don't mind if you still want to go somewhere…I'll be more careful where I land next time."

"I won't let the floor be _tile _next time…"

Steve smiled, and then his face went blank. Clint and Natasha looked at Tony. He frowned. "He said this will happen for a few days…lose focus…He'll be in and out all the time…"

"Shouldn't you bring him home, then? He could get violent…"

"He won't…it's just losing his focus…"

Steve laid his head back and placed an arm over his eyes. Tony sat on the edge of the bed and took Steve's free hand, stroking that back of it with his thumb. "Tony…I still want to go with you…anywhere you want…"

"We will, Steve…as soon as you can leave the hospital…"

The doctor walked in. "Which is soon…Today, actually."

"Really?"

"He's fine…We'll send you with some pain killers incase he needs them, but other than that…He's good to go."

Tony looked at Steve and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

They were on the road again in no time. "So, have you figured out our destination yet?"

"Yeah…no place in particular. Wherever we end up."

Steve smiled. "Sounds good to me…"

Tony grabbed Steve's hand and held it. "As long as I'm with you, anywhere is good for me…"

Steve popped a Hershey's Kiss into his mouth. "That's deeply profound…and quite the cliché."

Tony laughed. "Well, it's true…Can I have one?"

Steve leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and popped another Kiss into his mouth. "Oh, you're an ass…"

He only got a smirk in response. "Love you!" He unwrapped a Kiss and placed it in Tony's mouth. Tony ate it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" He put the bag in the dashboard and leaned back in the seat. They crossed the border into Pennsylvania. Steve stared out at the passing cars. Tony squeezed his hand. "Hey, Steve?"

He looked over. "…Yeah?"

"Just making sure you're still with me…"

Steve yawned. "That sugar didn't last me very long…"

"We'll stop for food and a hotel in a few hours…go ahead and doze…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Steve turned his head to face Tony, and closed his eyes.

Tony drove for an hour before he realized he was beginning to be tired too. He felt his eyes droop, and his mind become foggy. The car started to move slightly to the right. A car horn blasted and he came to focus, pulling the car back into the lane. "Shit…"

Steve was still fast asleep. He continued to drive, and again started to doze off. This time, the car swerved to the left. Tony caught himself and decided it was time to stop. He wearily drove the car to a rest stop and parked. He sighed, and reclined the seat. He unbuckled his seat belt and got comfortable. He fell asleep soon after.

Steve jolted awake and looked around quickly. Tony was still asleep and the sky had grown dark with clouds and rain. Another roll of thunder was heard. He inhaled and exhaled deeply. _Just a storm…_He laid back and stared at Tony's sleeping face, and smiled. A flash of lightning close by and the quick rumble of thunder startled him. It made Tony jump awake. "What the hell!"

Steve had his head covered with his arms. "Steve…what happened?"

"It's a storm…"

Tony mouthed an "oh" before looking out the window, where Steve was looking as well. Another flash of lightning struck a nearby tree and it caught fire. Tony shuddered, while Steve was already out of the car and running. It took him a moment to notice where he was going. "Steve!" He got out of the car and closed the door. "Steve!"

The tree was put out by the rain, but it left it weak, and it fell over onto a car below. Muffled cries for help were heard, even from Tony's distance away. Steve grabbed the tree, and winced from the burn it gave him. He pushed it up and moved it to the side. He then pried open the car. He helped the family inside escape. Tony watched it all from a distance. He saw Steve falter, and he ran forward. "Steve!" He caught him before he fell, his face a blank slate. They were both soaking wet. He dragged him back to the car and laid him in the back seat. He got back into the driver's side and started the car.

Help had come for the family whose car was smashed by the burned tree. Tony drove off after that, trying to make up for time lost. The storm had let up, and the sun could be seen through the clouds. Steve groaned in the back. "Hang in there, Steve…we'll stop in a bit, okay?"

"Tony…I want a Kiss…"

It took Tony a moment to realize what he meant, and opened the dash to grab the bag. He handed it to him. "Thank you…"

"Yeah…"

Tony had turned on the stereo and was playing music from his Pandora. ACDC rocked in the speakers quietly, which meant, one decibel below earsplitting. Steve was still laying in the backseat, and quietly singing along to the parts he knew, and Tony was smiling at it. He was keeping his mind stimulated, in hopes it would keep him in focus. "Tony…"

"Yeah, Steve?" He turned the stereo down.

"Can we get pizza?"

"Pizza?"

"Yeah…I want some pizza!"

"You didn't get into the pain meds did you?"

"No. I'm serious."

"Okay…"

"Thanks…"

Tony looked slightly at him and he was just staring out the back window at the sky. "Why pizza?"

"I dunno…"

"It won't be New York pizza…we're in Pennsylvania."

"Yeah, I know…whatever pizza place it is…I don't care…"

"You're _sure _you didn't take a pill?"

Steve laughed. "Yes, Tony. I am absolutely sure."

Tony shrugged. "An hour before there's anything around…"

"Okay…"

They rode in silence for a few minutes. "Steve?"

He got a soft snore in reply. "Damn was he tired…it was frying his brain!"

Steve was still asleep when he stopped to pick up a pizza. He opened the door next to his head. "Hey, Steve…I got a pizza."

Steve opened his eyes. "Food…"

He sat up and let Tony get in beside him. He opened the box. There was a pizza, breadsticks, and cinnamon sticks. Steve grabbed Tony's face with both his hands and kissed him. "Thank you! I'm _starving_!"

Tony laughed. "Then eat something…"

Steve pulled a piece of pizza and ate it. Tony took a breadstick and dipped it in sauce, and bit it. Steve took another slice of pizza and scarfed it down. Tony laughed. "You weren't kidding…"

"Sugar wasn't doing anything for my hunger…it made it worse because it was being burned off so fast…"

"So why pizza?"

"Meat, dairy, bread, veggies…a few food groups. Protein…"

"Ah…I see now…"

Steve took a breadstick, and bit it in half with one bite. "You're going to choke yourself, Steve…"

He shook his head, and swallowed. "No I won't. I'm too hungry to die."

They both finished the pizza, breadsticks and the cinnamon sticks. Tony got out to throw the box away and Steve moved into the passenger side front seat. Tony got back in. Steve pulled him over and kissed him. "Thank you…I needed that."

"You're welcome…now let's get this show back on the road to who-knows-where!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Independence Inn? Ironic enough, right?"

Steve laughed and spread out on the bed on his stomach. Tony sat on his back, and it cracked. He groaned. "That felt good…"

Tony worked out the rest and messaged his shoulders. Steve closed his eyes and smiled. "You, sir, deserve a kiss."

"Which kind?"

"Come here and you'll find out…"

Tony leaned forward and placed his head in the space between the neck and shoulder. Steve turned his head to catch Tony's lips. Tony slid off Steve's back, allowing Steve to be on top. "You won't fall asleep this time?"

"I've slept enough today…it's play time…"

Steve smirked and kissed Tony again, removing Tony's pants as if to not lose time. Tony was perfectly alright with it, and he kicked the pants off when they got low enough. Steve stroked the area of skin just above the hem of Tony's boxers softly, getting the reaction he had wanted. "It's play time, not tease time," Tony hissed, breaking their kiss. Steve obliged, and slid his hand inside Tony's boxers. Tony moaned as he worked on him. "Better?"

"Nnn…dirty."

Steve pulled Tony's boxers down, and moved his head to put him in his mouth, and worked his own little magic. Tony moaned again, louder. He trailed his tongue up the length, and then flicked the tip with it. "D-damnit, Steve…you're a tease…"

He chuckled. "You never tell me to stop…"

"Nn…that's because…it feels so good…"

"I'm glad…" He leaned back up to kiss him passionately, leaving his hand to continue where he left off. Tony ran a hand through Steve's hair that wasn't wrapped, the other resting on the back of his neck. Steve departed from him, panting slightly. He removed himself of his own shirt, pants and boxers, and then pulled Tony's shirt up and over. Tony pushed him over onto his back. "It's been a while Tony…I might be tight…" Steve commented in a soft voice, a blush revealed itself across the bridge of his nose. Tony smiled and kissed him as he used two fingers to warm him up, and then three. He positioned himself more readily. "May I?"

Steve nodded weakly before pain and pleasure passed through him in moments. Tony moaned. "Y-yeah, you weren't kidding…"

Steve grabbed onto Tony's shoulders, and Tony winced, knowing there would be bruises. He waited a few moments after he had gone in to do anything. "We good?"

Steve didn't speak, he just nodded against Tony's chest. Tony started to thrust, and Steve could see brilliant colors in his eyelids. The pain only lasted a few seconds before it had transformed into pleasure. "Mmmm…Tony…"

They rocked together for a few minutes. Tony was absolutely jealous of Steve's stamina. He could possibly go on forever. Tony could not. Sweat dripped off his nose as he laid on top of Steve when he had finished. Steve wiped the sweat off his forehead before it could reach his eyes. "I know who's going to sleep well tonight…"

"Sh-shut up, Steve…"

"You usually do…" Steve propped himself up on his elbows. Tony flopped over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "Usually."

Steve got off the bed and tossed Tony his boxers. "What's this for?"

"Just incase we have some _friendly _neighbors come and yell at us…"

"We weren't that loud."

He got an incredulous look. "You're deaf, but my throat can tell when it's been used…"

Tony only chuckled as his mind automatically changed the meaning into a sex joke. He pulled them on anyway. Steve pulled his on and went to grab a snack from a bag. Tony laughed. "Really, Steve?"

Steve turned around, a granola bar shoved in his mouth. "Yes…I am hungry."

"You're a bottomless pit."

He swallowed the granola, and grabbed another. "Meh…"

Tony got up and took the bar from him. "If you eat everything now, there won't be anything left for the road…"

"But I thought you were a billionaire…can't you stock up on other things like random junk food for the ride?"

"Sure I can, but I like these."

"Then buy more of those tomorrow…for now, I'm going to eat them." He took back the bar, opened it, and bit into it all in one swift movement that left Tony feigning surprise. "Jerk!"

"Mmm…whatever I am, this tastes really good."

Tony took the last half of it and shoved it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "There's no more…"

Tony stalked off to the bed over the soft carpet floor, making no noise. Steve frowned momentarily, then strode over to the bed and got on. "I'll pay for your granola bars, Tony…"

Tony was rummaging through his bag. He tossed over a bottle of pills. "What are these for?"

"Meds for your head…you need to take one."

Steve groaned and got up again to grab a bottle of water. He downed a pill and gagged slightly. "My god! That was disgusting!"

"Never said it would taste good…Do you think the gauze needs to be changed before you go to sleep?"

"I don't know…I can't see what it looks like…"

Tony padded over and looked. "Eh…it might help…"

Steve set down the water bottle and picked up a pair of tiny scissors from the counter. He cut through the tape on his forehead and pulled it off, then tossed it into the trash. Tony cut the gauze and put it in place, wrapping the tape around his head again. "All better…" He kissed Steve's jaw as he set the tape down. Steve wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulders and looked in the mirror. His vision blurred slightly, and he yawned. "You didn't tell me it would put me to sleep…"

"I know…I lied. They're sleep tablets."

"What? Tony!"

"I know, I'm sorry…it will help you sleep, I promise…"

"What about you?"

"They were meant for me, yes…but-" he poked Steve's nose. "I don't need a drug induced sleep. Plus, I don't need something I can become addicted to."

Steve yawned again. "You're a…jerk…"

"I know…" He guided him to the bed and set him on it.

"You don't…get any more chocolate…" His head sank into the down pillow. He mumbled something incoherent. Tony stroked his face and watched it grow tired. "Next time…Tony…next time…I won't…" His eyes drooped and then closed, and he opened them again slightly. "Good night, Steve…"

"You…nn…" His eyes closed and he couldn't open them again. Tony sighed in relief, then got up from the bed and grabbed a bottle he had stashed in his bag, and opened it. "Sorry, Steve…" He sipped from it directly and went to work on his laptop.

Steve awoke about early morning hearing something crash, and break. He sat up quickly, and shook his head to rid himself of vertigo. "Tony?"

"Shit…"

He got up and walked to the bathroom, where the door was wide open. Tony was throwing away glass shards. "Tony…What happened?"

He seemed startled, and flinched back, his back against the wall. Steve saw a bottle in the sink, then looked at Tony, frowning deeply. "Steve! I-uh…"

He grabbed the bottle from the sink and tossed it into the trash quickly. "I'm not going to pretend you didn't already see that, but-uh…"

"Why, Tony?"

"I was anxious, and too much was going on in my mind so I-"

"You drugged me so you could drink?"

"Uh-yeah."

If Steve was ever angry before, it was worse then. "You lied to me again?"

"I didn't want you to worry, Steve…I can handle this on my own, you know…"

Steve walked in and grabbed the unbroken glass bottle from the trash. "This is handling it?" He went up to Tony, who was still against the wall. "You told me you stopped…"

"I did…up until last night."

He flinched as the glass broke in Steve's grip. He tried to get away, but a strong hand on his forehead kept him there. "You know I hate being lied to, Tony!"

"Steve, Steve…its-"

"Don't tell me it's okay, Tony Stark! Don't you dare!"

"Steve, you're hurting me!"

Steve let him go and turned away. He looked at the blood dripping from his hand. Tony watched him walk over to the shower and turn it on. He rinsed his hand under the water, wincing as he did so. He walked back over to him and grabbed his arm. "Shit! Steve, stop!"

He put him into the cold shower, and made him sit in the stream. "HOLY SHIT! THAT'S COLD! STEVE!"

He held him there. After a minute he backed off to clean up the bloody glass from the floor. Tony sat under the cold water staring at the water dripping off him as he regained his mind. He turned the water off and got out, grabbing a towel that hung beside the shower on a rack. Steve was running his hand under water. Tony saw the blood on the floor and quickly walked up to him. "Steve-"

The water in the sink was stained red as it flowed off of Steve's hand. Slowly it was healing itself. A piece of glass fell into the sink from his hand. He went to extract another, in complete silence. Tony grabbed onto him from behind, burying his head into his back. "I'm sorry…Steve, I'm sorry…"

Steve didn't make a sound. Tony felt his back tense when he pulled another glass shard free from his hand, and it clinked in the sink. "Steve…"

"You lied to me…"

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't say you're sorry!" He turned and looked Tony straight in the eyes. "I can't believe that you mean it, because you sure as hell say it a lot! It kind of looses it's meaning after a while…"

"Steve, please listen to me! I know I shouldn't have done it, but-"

"Then why? You _knew _I would be pissed off…you _knew _you wouldn't just stop after one…You knew, and that's all there is to it."

"But, Steve I-"

The super-soldier stormed out of the bathroom before he lost his temper completely. He put gauze on his hand and started to wrap it. Tony went after him and tried to help, but Steve lurched away. "Steve, I'm trying to explain-"

"Explain what! What do you think I don't already understand? You drink, you were upset, angry, anxious, WHATEVER, _it's not like it's the first time_…"

"What am I supposed to do? I already tried apologizing, and you pushed it away!"

"You could have _thought_! I would have stayed right beside you all night long if I had to…I hate to see you in pain, Tony…just like you hate it with me…"

"So, what? Am I supposed to grovel at your feet? Beg your forgiveness now? Sounds kind of dictator-ish…I thought you were against that."

Steve grabbed Tony by the neck. "Don't _ever _compare me to someone like that! Ever!"

"Steve!"

"You have brought all of this upon yourself…I have it in me to leave, right now, and take on my life…I'm here because of you, because I love you…but right now, I'm starting to question my view of you…"

Tony grasped onto Steve's arm. "Let…go of me!"

"Sure!" Steve dropped him, and he fell to his knees, gasping for air. He walked around him and grabbed a pair of jeans. Tony turned to look at him. "No…Steve, no…Please…"

"You've certainly made up your mind…I'm making up mine."

"Steve!"

Steve closed up his bag and sat on the bed, pulling on his combat boots. "Steve, I swear-"

"You swear what? You'll come after me? Go ahead…"

He stood up and grabbed the bag. Tony stood up, his knees weak. "Please, Steve! It was wrong, and I know it. Knowing is the worst part, yes! But I've made it this far because of you, because I have you! You've given my life meaning, that's why I brought you with me! I love you, Steve…I don't know what else to do!" Tony walked over to him and stood a foot away. "Tell me!"

Steve didn't reply. "Steve!"

He walked in front of him. His face was blank, and pale. "Steve…"

Steve shook his head, and brought a hand up. He dropped the bag and dropped to his knees. Tony watched this in confusion. Steve placed his head in his hands. "I can't do it…damnit, I can't…" His words cracked and his breathing was shaky. A few tears dripped to the floor from his chin. Tony dropped down in front of him. "Steve…"

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Tony…I'm sorry…" He placed the top of his head on Tony's chest. "I'm not angry at you…I can't leave you…I can't…I'm scared…I don't want you to be alone…I don't want you to get hurt, or hurt yourself…or…" He stopped to breathe. "I couldn't bear it…it would be my fault, just like all this is my fault…"

"It's not."

"It is! You're in this state because of me…"

"Steve, just calm down…"

"You have every right to be angry at me, Tony…"

"I'm not, now stop for one moment and look at me." The tone was domineering. Steve sat back and stared into Tony's eyes. He took a deep breath. "Let's just…relax one moment, regain composure, and gain a little mindset here, okay?"

Steve nodded, and closed his eyes. "Okay…"

Tony used his thumbs to wipe Steve's face. "This whole situation has gotten out of control…"

"I know…"

"Don't talk…just listen…The incident that happened the other day caught me off guard. I forgot that you're still capable of getting hurt like that, and I panicked. My anxiety levels went up, and my mind has always been so used to going to alcohol for comfort, that that's what happened…I love you, Steve…My mind just…over took my heart. I knew it was wrong…but I meant what I said…that you're what kept me away from it…I may be no good for you, Steve, but you're the best thing for me. _You _are my addiction."

He wiped away another round of tears that flowed down Steve's face. "I need you, in every meaning of the cliché."

"Tony-"

His words were stopped by their lips meeting. He closed his eyes as more tears fell. "Let's leave this all behind, okay? The anger, the tears…once we leave here, it's behind us. In the past. Let it be one thing that doesn't haunt us."

Steve nodded, trying to smile. It made Tony smile. "I love you," was all Steve could think of to say. Tony laughed and hugged him tight. "I love you too…"


	5. Chapter 5

**World War III**

"So…what's the meaning of 'wherever we end up'?"

"In this case, whenever I feel like I've had enough…"

"Ah, I see…" He felt awkward trying to strike up a conversation. While he had agreed to leave the past behind him, it was hard to forget. He willed himself to keep from conveying the emotions he felt, and thus, felt awkward. He kept his attention on the road, having taken the wheel on the behalf of Tony's foggy mind. Cars in front of them were slowing up. He could see the blue and red lights of police cars ahead, and he slowly pushed on the gas. Tony looked at him. "What is it?"

"A crash maybe? There are cops ahead, traffic is slowing."

Tony groaned. "Just the way to start the day, hm?"

Steve laughed slightly. Traffic ahead had halted, with no signs of moving anytime soon. Tony pressed a button and the top of the car folded down to let the sunshine in. He pulled on a pair of highly expensive sunglasses. "Get a little bit of a crisp while we wait…" He leaned his head back. Steve noticed a police officer walking through each row of cars. "Cops…and they don't seem like they're giving out free breakfast…"

Tony lifted his head to look. "No, not really…wonder what's up…"

The officer that reached them seemed surprised. "Tony Stark? Here in Pennsylvania? Well how about that?"

"Yeah, how 'bout that? What's the goings on officer?"

"The bridge is out up ahead…"

Tony laughed as Steve huffed. "Can't ever escape the heroing, no matter where we go, right?"

"Cheer up, Cap…The sooner this is over, the sooner we can continue down the road to God-knows-where! I've got my briefcase suit in the trunk…plus, I know you don't go anywhere without your shield, right?"

"It's not as portable as mace, but it's worth it!" He pulled a tab to pop the trunk and hopped out. Tony got out as well and met him at the back. He opened a compartment and grabbed his shield, and it reflected the sun. Tony opened the briefcase suit on the road and it conformed to him with a little help from Steve. He took off, and Steve ran through the rows of cars and triumphantly smiled at all the stares he received from young and old. He stopped at the edge of traffic where cars had started to dip into the massive break. He pulled the cars back that hadn't tipped in. He looked over the edge and at the rushing water, debris and cars below. He jumped down onto a pile of concrete. Tony was above scanning the area for other potential threats and any clues to what triggered the initial problem. Steve heard a faint beep. He looked around, and then down. He hopped off the pile he was on and onto a car, and slipped. He hung onto the side of the car to keep from falling into the water. The concrete exploded, and he shielded his head with his shield. Tony looked down in panic. The debris stopped falling, and smoke and dust hung in the air. Steve coughed and pulled himself on top of the car. "Bombs…"

The pile of things beneath him shifted, the river finally taking control. He jumped to another small island of debris and watched the car be swept away. Tony hovered beside him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine…but this is crazy! Bombs on a bridge? What's their play?"

"Wipe out major transportation…I got word of other places being hit the same way…"

"Is it a full scale attack?"

"That, or someone felt like this was the best April Fools Day joke ever."

"I'm not laughing."

"Quite obviously, neither is the rest of the country."

"I don't understand…why transportation?"

"Resources can't flow, nor can…" He grabbed Steve's hands and pulled him up. Another bomb went off nearby. He set him on the road where police had set up a perimeter. Tony's faceplate lifted. He grabbed a chief officer. "I want you to shut down all roads, highways, barges, and mode of transportation in the country…"

"But I can't do that!"

"Then get someone on the phone that can! It's a national emergency!"

"Y-yes!"

Steve walked up to him, panic written on his face. "You remember reading about 9/11, Cap?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, get ready because I think we're having a repeat…"

The sound of his phone ringing in his ear prompted him to make the faceplate fall back in. "Where the hell are you?" asked the very annoyed voice of a Director Nick Fury. Tony mouthed an "oh grand" before gathering his thoughts into order. "I believe we have a national emergency on our hands, Nick…not really the time for a game of hide-n-seek. But, you are just the man I wanted to talk to…I need orders to be put through to shut down every mode of transportation in the country."

"Is that where the threat originates?"

"It might just keep us from a repeat of 9/11...they're targeting the only way to transport our resources. If there's a war going to start, they're planning on using Attrition."

Steve was staring at something in the sky. "Uhh…Tony. I think we have bigger problems than just boats and cars…"

Tony looked up at an airplane flying overhead. "Shit…I don't care what else you do, Nick, but get that goddamned order out! This is important!"

"Do you need the Avengers?"

"Not here. Get them wherever they are, but Cap and I have this."

"Good luck, then…"

Tony grabbed Steve's arms again and took off. "Sorry, Cap, but time to play pilot again!"

Steve ripped open one of the escape doors and jumped inside. The startled passengers looked in awe. Men dressed in green appeared holding machine guns. He noticed the emblem, and grimaced. He used his shield to disarm them, throwing them one by one from the plane. He broke into the control room where he was rushed by two more, and he reflected their bullets, and they pierced into them. He grabbed the guy at the controls, who had a wide smirk on his face. "Why?" was all he could manage to ask.

"We will win this time…"

Steve tossed the guy against the wall, and heard a satisfying snap of his neck. He sat in the seat. "Modern technology…"

Tony walked into the room, and closed the door. "You're fast…" He took the other seat and put on a headset. "It's an awful cliché that we're stuck piloting a plane that's set for a course of doom…too many movies about it already."

"Not really the time, Tony…"

"Yeah, sorry…" He pressed a button, and scrambled a line to Nick Fury. "We've taken the plane, it had no crash course set, but I'm sure if we had made it later, it would. Get the Quinjets in the air. If there are anymore planes in the air, get them under control."

"_The others will be on it. All modes of transportation have been ordered to shut down. Anything that gets through is considered enemy?_"

"I wouldn't doubt it, but don't destroy anything large, there could be other people on board…"

"_Since when did you become so conscious of other people?_"

"If this is a repeat of our past, then let's change our fate."

"Tony, try to find any nearby airports…we need to land this thing. Did you check for bombs?"

"Through and through…nothing." He searched all signals. "Nothing on the lines…we just might have to bring this down on a field, which there are plenty of."

"Grand…Go warn the people on board, then…"

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Steve stared forward for a moment, then looked at him. "Yes."

Tony nodded and got up. He walked through the door. "Alright…hey, yeah…listen. We're going to have to land this thing in a field, so the ride might get a little bumpy…But no worries! Just hold onto your seats and enjoy the rest of your flight!"

He walked back, and stood behind Steve. "Nice enough size, I think…I've only landed a plane once, and it was in water…"

"No worries…" He rubbed his shoulders slightly. "No worries at all…Just bring 'er down slow…and I'll pull on the emergency break…"

"Sounds great."

Tony sat in the chair and grabbed the handle. Steve tilted the bars down and the plane started to lose altitude. "You're doing great…"

Steve was staring straight in front of him, flashes in his mind from his first fateful crash at the end of World War II. The ground grew closer and closer. His heart rate increased, as did his breathing. Tony grabbed his hand and held it. "We're going to live, Steve…and we're going to win."

The wheels of the plane hit the ground roughly, jolting them and every passenger. Tony pulled on the break. The tires screeched, and the front one broke, sending the nose of the plane down to continue to slide across the field. Then, from the sky, a green streak fell. The Hulk stood in front of the plane, and grabbed onto the nose. He pushed against it, his feet digging into the ground and sliding. It finally stopped, and Tony looked at Steve, who looked a little pale, and very shaken. "See? Told you."

A slide formed under the escape doors, and the passengers got out, no one was badly hurt, and no one was dead. Steve and Tony went down to meet Bruce. "Thought you needed a little help…"

"Thanks, Bruce…" Steve was looking around frantically at all the people and his surroundings. The Quinjet Bruce had come from landed in the field. The other Avengers were swift to assemble. "A national emergency, hm? I thought we only specialized in creepy aliens and psychotic murderers from other planets…"

"We are assembled for whatever cause it may be, Tweety…"

"If you're here, that must mean everything is secure?" Steve asked.

"Nick has every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent available working on this…We won't let it get out of hand," Natasha said.

"Suit up, Captain…We've got a country to save."

"I would suggest the same to you…your briefcase suit won't do you much justice."

"We'll head back to the Helicarrier…you obviously know more about this than we do, you're going to have to brief us."

The Quinjet landed on the Helicarrier, where Nick Fury was standing in wait for them to arrive. Steve and Tony were the first ones off. "Hey Nick…let's hurry this up…my car is still stuck in traffic, and I'd like to have my half a million dollar car back…and all my stuff."

"We already retrieved the car with another Quinjet…"

"Oh. Thanks, I guess…Steve, go suit up."

"R-right…" He walked off, not so eager.

"You let him crash land a plane?"

"He said he could handle it!"

"Do you know nothing about trauma, Stark?"

"Plenty…I trust Steve with my life, Nick."

"You know who our threat is, right?"

"Not a clue."

Natasha handed him a folder. "Germans."

"Really?" He opened the file. "Shit, that's why Steve threw guys out of the plane…What do they want this time?"

"To win."

"Why us?"

"Why not us? We're top in global economy, army, navy, must I continue?"

"No…but why now? How did they do this undercover?"

"Russian help…it seems this time they're actually in cahoots."

"You're kidding me? So, is this war?"

"War has not been declared as of yet, but I don't think it will take long."

"With all transportation shut down, transporting weapons on both sides will be difficult…"

"But we have the Quinjets and the Helicarrier. We have us. We don't need weapons…"

"The army does. We're not going to fight this alone."

"Oh, of course not. But we'll be here when they run out of ammo."

"When that happens, we'll probably lose."

Steve walked back into the room. "Not if we destroy the leaderships…They want this fight on American soil…they want to use attrition…bring the fighting to them, they'll still come out on top. But if we find the leaders and take them from power, we will have the advantage because they'll have no orders."

"Are you prepared to fight this kind of war, Captain?"

Steve strapped his shield to his back. "I was made for this…"


	6. Chapter 6

The Avengers were sitting around a table watching the news. "**It is a sad day in history…Germany has declared war against the United States. The President is meeting with Congress to finalize our declaration of war, as well as what our plan will be. We've received word that the Avengers have assembled once more to protect us.**"

Everyone but Steve was watching the news reporter. Steve was drawing on a piece of paper. Tony looked over. "Whatcha doing there, Steve?"

The others turned their attention to him as well. "I'm trying to figure out their next move, try to stay one step ahead. I think they're trying to split the country in two, north and south or east and west. With all resources halted, nothing can go west and the Russians can invade that way, while Germany takes us on…China and Japan could possibly be our only Allies from the west…while we'd have England, France and all those other countries…but who's to say they'd be on our side this time?"

"It sounds like an easy way to dominate the U.S., but I'm not so sure they're actually going for splitting the country. Attrition sounds more like what they're going for…I don't know how long they expect war to rage for…but they're prepared."

"**We are officially at war with Germany! As of 11:34 AM this morning, April 1****st**** 2015, we're waging war with Germany! The President asks that all eligible men and women enlist now…A national draft has been issued, something that hasn't happened in a long time…**"

Steve stood up and walked to the door. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to fight a war…"

"We're only to go when we've been ordered to!" Natasha called out.

"I'm a soldier…I was made a soldier, and I will fight as a soldier." He gave a slightly evil looking smile. "And I'm a Captain."

He walked from the room quickly. Tony got up and walked after him. "Steve!" He ran after him. "Steve, you're doing something reckless!"

"I was made to fight for this country, Tony…I'm not just going to sit here and know that people are already dying."

"Then I'll go with you…"

"We'll all go…"

They both turned to look at Bruce, Natasha and Clint. "You're right, Steve…"

Steve looked at Tony. "Suit up."

Tony walked down the corridor to his changing station. He pressed a button for the door to open, and it only opened a small bit. He pushed to open it a bit more and slid inside. "What the hell…" The room was dark as he walked in. He heard a small rustle before he was hit in the back of the neck, and made to pass out.

Steve looked around anxiously. "Where is he?"

They walked down the hall to the room, where the door was still opened a small amount. Steve pushed it open all the way and stepped inside. Clint had his bow raised, and Natasha had her gun. The room was empty, and dark. "Tony?"

The door hissed shut, like it was unbroken, locking Bruce outside. There was noise in the room, but nothing it was coming from. Clint blindly shot an arrow, and it pierced through something. A man became visible after he was hit, and fell to the ground. Steve pulled his shield off his back. "They're in the Helicarrier!"

"Bruce! Warn Fury, we've been compromised!"

"GOT IT!"

Steve listened and then threw his shield. It hit a few men and then returned to him. They fell, visible and unconscious. He walked into the center of the room, Clint and Natasha not far behind. An invisible force hit him in the back of the head, and he cried out in pain. Natasha shot the guy, and he fell. Steve had a hand on the back of his head, where he could feel the gash on his head reopened. He pulled off the mask. "Shit…Steve-"

"I'll be alright…" The wound healed itself instantly, his body's normal functions kicking in. He pulled the mask back on. "We need to find Tony…"

"Right!" The agents said together. "Lead the way, Captain."

He walked through the room to the other side. He felt a slight wind. He moved a shelf, and found a hole made in the side. "They escaped with him…" He walked back through the room to the door. He curled his fingers around the edge and pulled. The door peeled back and Bruce was on the other side with Fury. "Tony is gone…they escaped with him."

"They wanted us in the war…"

Steve nodded. "It was their plan all along."

Fury walked down the hall, the Avengers following him. The Helicarrier shook, and started to tilt. An alarm went off. "We've been hit…"

Another shake, and another alarm. They ran down the corridor to the control platform. "Sir, they've taken out two of our engines! We're losing altitude!"

"Stark's not here to fix it…Are we able to revert to Aircraft carrier?"

"From this altitude, a drop could be deadly!"

"We don't really have any other choices…Brace yourselves!"

They quickly lost altitude, the ocean getting closer and closer. Steve braced himself against a wall, crouching as low as he could. Clint and Natasha both had a hand on his shoulders, down next to him. "We'll be fine, Steve…"

The transformed Helicarrier crashed into the water, wrenching them all forward and sprawled on the floor. Steve opened his eyes, seeing double of everything. He shook his head, closed his eyes, looked again, and when nothing changed, he leaned his head back on the ground. Fury stood up. "Everyone okay?"

Clint and Natasha got up and brushed themselves off. "Yeah…"

Bruce got up and helped Steve up. "Seems so…"

Steve opened his eyes, and everything was normal again. "Yeah…"

After patching up his head again, Steve was laying his head on the table as Bruce tried to find Tony.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony awoke in an unfamiliar place. He sat up and looked around. His face felt sticky. He put a hand to it and felt the blood that had dried there. A door opened. A younger man, about 22, walked through the door. "Mr. Anthony Stark…what an honor to meet you."

Tony blinked as a dim light was turned on in the room and the door closed. "What's going on here? Who are you?"

The man was blonde and had piercing green eyes. He sat on a stool at a workbench in the room. "Tobias…I'm a German engineer."

"Where am I?" His mind was spinning as he realized he was a captive. "What do you want with me?"

"For now, you're just a POW…"

"You're probably being tracked…"

"Mr. Stark, we know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is capable of. We wouldn't have done anything if we weren't ready for it."

Tony tried to get off the bed, but after a few steps he was stopped by an invisible force field. "Like it? It's a ray shield."

"You came up with invisible soldiers?"

"Cloaking devices on their person…clever, right?"

"You're a weapons designer?"

"Not necessarily. Defensive things like these shields or the cloaking devices…"

"Let me tell you, Tobias…you let me go, and I can get you a really good job in Stark Industries…I'm a billionaire, you know."

Tobias just laughed. "Sorry, Mr. Stark…"

Tony sat back on the bed and sighed, trying to calm his nerves. "Hey, you got anything to drink on this thing? Like, liquor or something?"

"The file on you was correct…"

"What? That I'm a genius who likes a good Scotch?"

"No, Mr. Stark…there isn't any alcohol on board for you."

"Soda then? Or Lemonade? Coffee?"

Tobias ignored him, and went to work on something. Tony crossed his arms. _This is going to he harder than I thought…_


	8. Chapter 8

"I think I got it!"

Steve's head shot up, his eyes open slightly from having fallen asleep. Bruce pulled up a larger screen. "They're in Russia…"

Natasha stood up. "I'll fly us in a Quinjet."

"I'm pretty sure it's a trap…" Steve said, yawning. "But then again, who are we to not spring it?"

Fury nodded. "Good luck, Avengers…"


	9. Chapter 9

Tony was brought to the bridge of the aircraft. The area outside the windows was cold and snowy. "You know it's the beginning of April, right?"

"You're in Russia now, Mr. Stark."

"Explains a lot…"

The aircraft landed and soldiers dragged him outside. He shivered. "Hot Afghanistan sun, or cold Russian summer?"

"Stop talking," a soldier said. He sighed and closed his mouth. They brought him inside a building where he suspected the leaders were. He would have never known, for he was thrown into a cell and locked inside. The door was solid steel with a slot for food delivery. "Great…" he mumbled. He quickly became acquainted with the young woman in the cell with him, whose name was Suzanna. She was imprisoned for rebelling against the war. "There are more," she explained in perfect English. "More like me…Those that learned from our history, like World War II."

"This may turn out to be World War III."

She frowned. "That would be very sad…They never learn, those who crave for power. May I ask, who are you?"

"Tony Stark…"

"Tony Stark?" She seemed to ponder a moment. "I read about you, I think. You were in Afghanistan. Why are you here in Russia?"

"I'm a POW."

"That must be traumatizing, since Afghanistan."

"Yeah…just a bit…" He sat with his back against the wall. "Why lock you up in here? Aren't there other places for that?"

"Yes, but they don't want anyone to strike up a resistance…this is high security. They believe I have followers."

"Do you?"

"Not really. People chose to rebel spontaneously…I didn't have an organized group or clan or anything…"

"How many more are here, you think?"

"A couple hundred."

"Really?"

She nodded.

He wrapped his arms around himself, wishing he had Steve with him, for comfort and for warmth.


	10. Chapter 10

Steve stared at the ocean water below, icebergs large and small floating in it. Clint patted his shoulder. "So, Cap…"

He didn't respond, just kept staring at the water below. Bruce waved him off. Natasha cursed in Russian as something played over the headset she was wearing. Steve looked over. "Search and rescue mission…no, we can't land to pro-" Steve had grabbed the headset and put it on. "Steve…"

"This is Captain America requesting permission to continue flight course we have set…We're on a friendly mission to rescue one of our own….Only doing what we can, but we haven't come to-No…Hey, great."

He handed her the headset back. "Keep going, Natasha…"

She gaped as he walked away. "How?"

"I'm a friendly face with the British Intelligence…"

"Good thing…"

They continued to fly over English air space.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony stared at the food in front of him. Suzanna was eating what she had graciously. "Mr. Stark, you should eat. It's not as bad as it looks, and you'll starve if you don't."

He picked up a fork and tried a forkful, and shrugged. She laughed. "So, Mr. Stark, do-"

"You can call me Tony…"

"O-okay…Tony, do you have someone at home?"

He coughed a few times and drank a bit of water. "Uh, yeah, but it's complicated…"

"It can't be that complicated…Are you having problems?"

"No, not at all…it's just…not a normal relationship."

"Mr. S-Tony…You shouldn't be ashamed of your sexuality."

"Oh, I'm not…it's just strange telling someone about my love life."

She giggled again. "Is he a good person, at least?"

"A better man than I am, that's for sure…He should be on his way here for me…"

"He's a soldier?"

"_The _soldier."

Her eyes lit up. "You're a very lucky man, indeed."

He kind of laughed. "Yeah…I think so too."


	12. Chapter 12

Hey, thanks to whomever pointed out to me that chapters 8-11 were chapter seven...that was a VERY big mistake, but it's fixed now! :)

* * *

Bruce draped a blanket over Steve as he slept. Clint and Natasha were snacking on munchies. "Hey, Bruce…you want one?"

"Sure…"

They handed him a fruit bar. Steve groaned and shook. A peaceful sleep was then taken over by a nightmare, visions that made him cry out for death himself, and then for Tony. Bruce shook him slightly. "Steve…"

His eyes snapped open, blurred and dark. His vision adjusted, and he shivered. "S-sorry…"

"Don't apologize…you okay?"

"Yeah…" He took a deep breath in and out.

"We're almost there!" Natasha called back. Steve sat up and wrapped the blanket he was given around his shoulders as he got up to look. A large compound building was seen in the distance, aircraft surrounding it in the middle of nowhere, as it seemed. She landed the Quinjet out of sight, but close enough that they wouldn't be walking far in the cold. He folded the blanket and set it on the seat. Clint, Natasha and Bruce all pulled on coats and goggles. Steve pulled on his mask, put on his bomber jacket, and strapped his shield to his back. A ramp opened. "Let's move out…"

They walked out and into a bleak white world.

* * *

I'm sorry for how short these snippets are, but it will get longer again, I promise!


	13. Chapter 13

Tony thought he heard men running outside the cell. He crawled up to the slot in the door and looked through, Suzanna behind him. "What's happening, Tony?"

"They're going somewhere, and fast."

"Have your friends come for you?"

"I'm not sure…" He saw Tobias walking up to the cell door. He crawled back quickly, his back hitting a wall. The door opened. "Are you excited, Mr. Stark? It's time that my weaponry is put to work, and you get to watch!" He tossed him a tablet, on the screen were the Avengers. He looked at Tobias quickly, and handed the tablet to Suzanna. He got up. "You'll regret anything and everything you do to them, do you hear me!" He stalked up to Tobias quickly. He seemed unfazed. "Mr. Stark, once I'm done with your friends, you'll be next."

The cell door closed tight, leaving Tony staring at the space that was just occupied. Suzanna was watching the screen of the tablet. "Tony!"

He turned quickly. The Avengers were already battling. He cursed himself for being captured. He kicked the door. He did it again and again until it opened. He didn't realize until it opened more that he hadn't made it open. Two soldiers stood in the door way. "You're coming with us, Mr. Stark…"

He swallowed hard, and quickly looked to Suzanna. She frowned. He looked back at the men. "It wouldn't be to get a drink, would it?"

They grabbed him and closed the door to the cell. They dragged him down a long hallway and into a chamber like room. They tossed him onto a table, and strapped him down. Tobias entered from the back. "I've changed my mind…I think I'll use you to make them surrender…"

Tony squirmed and tried to break free. "How about we don't, hm? You know, 'let's not and say we did'?"

"Sorry, Mr. Stark, but your negotiating will not help you…"

"There's always a way out…"

"For you there isn't, unless your friends happen to win this fight."

"They will…I have faith in them…You know, what with…a super-soldier, a Hulk, and two highly skilled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents…I think the odds are a little half and half."

"Amusing how you're trying to reassure yourself."

"I'm not…It's a threat to you."

"Petty, Mr. Stark…" Tobias grabbed a syringe. "Do you know what I have here?"

"A needle?"

Tobias walked over. "It's a highly deadly poison…An entire shot of this and I could kill off an army of men…" He pushed the syringe a bit, and a few drops fell. "I engineered it…so it is extremely deadly. I feel you're just the man I should use it on first…"

"Great offer, but…maybe you have other forms of torture available…you know, like water boarding and electric chairs…"

"You are finished, Mr. Stark…I only hope that if they win, your friends get to you in time…"

He stuck the tip of the needle into Tony's neck. "Th-they'll win! For sure…And you…you'll have your ass kicked!"

"I'd like to see them try…" He pushed the syringe, and the poison went through the needle. Tony cried out in pain as it felt like his body was burning. Tobias pulled the needle out and tossed it away. "Soldiers…to my aircraft…Goodbye, Mr. Stark…perminantly."


	14. Chapter 14

Steve held his side where he had been shot, and threw his shield again. A few more men went down, and it returned to him. He coughed and ran forward. The Hulk was throwing things and smashing people. Natasha had Clint's back as he shot off explosive arrows. They saw an aircraft fly overhead. A random strike of lightning hit the ground, and thunder rumbled. Thor, son of Odin, appeared before them. He used Mjolnir, and put the lights out on a bunch of soldiers. "I am sorry I am late, my friends…"

"Not at all…we were only getting our asses handed to us…"

Steve took a deep breath. "We need to let anyone inside go."

"Right…"

They ran up to the building, completely empty of soldiers. They were breaking locks and opening cell doors. They opened the cell Suzanna was in. She jumped up. "They took Tony to a lab!"

They looked at each other. Steve was already walking down the hallway with the poise that was so natural to him. Suzanna watched him go, and then looked at the others. "I was afraid that they were going to kill you all! These soldiers…they're not normal."

"We're used to 'not normal.' It's in our job description."

Steve kicked open the lab door. "Tony!"

He heard a strained cough. He rushed inside. Tony was on the table in the middle of the room. He grabbed hold of the straps and broke them, letting Tony free. "I'm here, Tony…What happened? What did they do to you?"

He took hold of Tony's face, feeling the cold skin, even through his gloves. "He-he poisoned me…Steve…"

"Wh-what! P-poison?"

Tony coughed again, his face growing pale. "You'll be fine, Tony…I promise…" He ran out of the lab and down the hall. "Dr. Banner!"

They turned to look. "Steve…"

"Dr. Banner, your services are appreciated!"

"Uh, yeah…"

Steve went back to Tony, still on the table in the lab. Bruce was searching the lab for anything he could use, which was plenty. Tobias had left the place stocked up. The sample of blood he had been working on was ready, and he looked to see what it was. "It's engineered…" Tony said, very weakly.

Bruce brought over a few things and an empty beaker. "Yeah, but he used the most common substances there are in poisons, he just doubled them. You'll be just fine in no time."

Steve was holding his hand, and stroking it gently, his own hand shaking in fear. Tony squeezed lightly. "You heard the man…I'll be fine…"

Bruce was mixing together different substances to create an antidote. He took a dosage into a syringe and injected it into the same spot that the poison had been. He winced and grasped Steve's hand tighter. The other Avengers were in the room and Suzanna was with them. Tony closed his eyes as his breathing leveled out. Bruce spoke up before Steve could leap out of his skin. "I put something in there to put him to sleep…he'll need as much as he can get."

Steve sighed in relief. "Thanks, Bruce…"

He sat Tony up and put his bomber jacket on him. He strapped his shield to his own back, and then picked Tony up. "Let's get out of here…"

He walked out in front of them into the hall. They ran quickly through the cold and snow, and walked into the Quinjet, where Thor was waiting for them. He placed Tony in a seat and covered him with the blanket. Suzanna sat in a seat in the back, watching Steve hold Tony to keep him warm. She smiled slightly. Natasha aimed the Quinjet's gun at the building and shot at it a few times before it blew up. The other people that were there had escaped in vehicles that were left behind.

Steve got up later and pulled his mask off. He pulled out a box and grabbed a fruit bar that was inside. "Hey…"

Suzanna looked up. He tossed her one. "Eat it…it'll taste good after all you've been through…"

"Thank you…" She obliged and ate it graciously. He sat back down and took a bite of his. Bruce was staring at the blood sample he had taken from Tony, the color odd. Thor was keeping quiet for once and staring at the land below as it changed. Clint and Natasha were in the cockpit as they flew over the English air space again. They pulled up a line for Fury. "We got Tony…he was injected with a poison, but Bruce made an antidote. We're over England now…"

"Anyone else badly hurt?"

"We were all kind of battered around…No one has complained of anything major."

"Good…"

"Oh! And we have a woman with us…she was imprisoned for rebelling against the war. She knows a few things."

She closed down the line. They both pulled of their headsets. "Hey Bruce, you don't think he had that stuff mass produced, do you?"

"It's a possibility…I'm just going to have to mass produce an antidote."

Tony groaned slightly and opened one eye. He looked at Steve and leaned on his shoulder. "I feel like shit…"

Steve kissed the top of his head and kept his lips there. "We'll be in New York soon…"

"Thank you…for saving me…"

Bruce looked over from his sample. "It's what I do…" He looked back at his sample. Tony opened his eyes and he took the remaining half of Steve's fruit bar, and ate it. Steve smiled. "That's the best thing I've had since we had pizza in Pennsylvania…"

"That was only a few days ago."

"I know…"

He sat up and noticed Suzanna in the corner. "Suzanna?"

"Hi, Tony…"

"We brought her with us for information…and for safety."

She smiled, and Tony knew why. He snorted and got up slowly to walk into the cockpit. "Hey, Legolas, think I can take a turn?"

Clint got up and moved to the back of the cockpit. Tony sat in his seat. "Well hey, Tasha."

"Glad you're back with us, Tony…"

"Yeah…Two wars in a row being a POW…coincidence? Everybody wants me!"

She rolled her eyes. "Now that you're awake you aren't going to stop talking, are you?"

"I've got to catch up on a few day's worth of cold and lonely-"

"Then go sit with Steve…"

Tony got up. "I see how it is…You're saying he's the only one that cares, right? Where's your heart, Tasha?"

She turned and glared at him. He stepped back. "Dually noted…I'm just going to go back here…" He tripped backward over Mjolnir, and Steve caught him. "Oh, hi there."

Steve sat him up on his lap. "Now who's mental?"

"Still not me…" He laid his head on Steve's upper chest. "I am as sane… as…" His words trailed off. "You know…I don't know what's sane…"

Steve picked up the blanket and draped it over them both. He had both his arms wrapped around Tony, and he leaned his head to the side against the cold metal interior. They both fell asleep, leaving everyone else inside to themselves.


	15. Chapter 15

The Quinjet landed on the Helicarrier, that hadn't been repaired since they left. Natasha woke them both as the others shuffled off. Tony walked off the Quinjet with Steve's help. Nick Fury was waiting for them in the last of the daylight. "Good to have you back, Stark."

"It's great to be back…I'll have real food."

He turned his attention to Suzanna. She held out a hand. "Suzanna…"

"Nick Fury…"

Steve walked forward, pulling Tony with him. "Whoa…Steve…where are we going? The crowd is over there…"

"You need to lay down in a _bed_…get some real sleep."

"You just want to _play_."

"No, Tony, I'm being serious."

"I know…so am I."

He pressed a button to his room and walked inside, turning the light on and looking around before walking in fully. He sat Tony on the bed. He stripped of his blood soiled suit and put on sweat pants and a t-shirt. Tony caught a glimpse of the blood on Steve's side. "What happened!"

Steve turned his head slightly to look at him. "What?"

"Your side!"

"Oh, I was-uh-shot…but it's no big deal…it's healing nicely on it's own."

He walked into the bathroom and washed the blood away with a facecloth. He winced slightly as he touched it. It was small enough to put a large square Band-Aid over. He did and walked back out. "All better, see?"

He lifted the bottom of the shirt and showed him the Band-Aid. "It's small enough now for a Band-Aid."

"You're playing it off like it's nothing…it could have been poisoned or something…"

"I feel fine…" He got onto the bed and laid back. He pulled Tony over and held him tight. "Another reason we're here…is so I can help you through anything…"

Tony frowned. _**"I would have stayed right beside you all night long if I had to…" **_He closed his eyes. "Thank you…Steve."

"I love you, Tony…I'm always here…"

"I know…I love you too…Please, don't leave me…just stay with me…"

Steve kissed his forehead. "Right here…"

For once, Steve was the insomniac. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't will himself to sleep. Not even the Arc Reactor's hum worked. He stared at the dark ceiling and listened to Tony's leveled breathing. He heard footsteps outside his door. He sat up slightly, trying not to make the bed make noise. He heard faint voices, that weren't of any S.H.I.E.L.D. officers he knew. One sounded like a woman. Then it registered in his mind. _Suzanna…_The door to his room opened and the two people that were talking walked inside. Steve stayed quiet, and watched them. He quietly reached under his pillow and pressed a button on the wall. A silent alarm triggered in the control room. Fury looked up. "Put this thing on lock down, NOW! Send agents to Captain Rogers' room immediately!"

Light flooded his room, and startled the two. Tobias and Suzanna pulled out guns. Steve sat up, also holding a gun he had stashed under his pillow. "Raise your hands…And drop the weapons…"

"Sorry, we can't do that."

Tony stirred slightly, the light bothering his eyes. He opened them and noticed Steve holding the gun. He shot up. "Steve, what are you-" He turned his head and saw Tobias and Suzanna. "What? Suzanna!"

"I lied," she said with an evil smirk. "Sorry about that, Tony."

He grimaced and looked at Steve. His face was serious and almost lethal. Steve clicked off the safety on the gun. Tony knew he meant business. An arrow flew through the door, and a capsule opened. Smoke billowed out, and filled the room. Steve pulled Tony down and covered them with a sheet. Tobias and Suzanna fell unconscious. When the smoke cleared, Clint and Natasha walked in, both with their weapons aimed. Steve and Tony emerged from the sheet. Other agents walked in and grabbed the unconscious duo. Steve clicked safety back on the gun and replaced it to under his pillow. He sighed.

"Nice job on the silent alarm," Natasha said. "Clever."

He shrugged. "I was willing to fight if I had to."

Clint grabbed the arrow from the floor. "Still in tact…"

Tony was still in shock. Steve looked at him. "I'm sorry, Tony…"

"I've been lied to before, but…"

"Russians are great actors…" Natasha put her gun in its holster. "Take it from me."

He sighed, and laid back. Steve looked back at Clint and Natasha. "Thanks for the help…"

They waved off and left. He turned the light out and laid next to Tony.

"You're the heaviest sleeper I know…how did you hear them?"

"I haven't slept yet…and I don't think I will…"

Tony had his head on Steve's chest. "Maybe you should have breathed some of that gas…"

"Probably wouldn't have helped…"

"I'm sorry, Steve…"

"It's not your fault…it's just that sinking feeling that something bad will happen…which something did…but it's a war, and it's not over yet."

Tony frowned. He sat up and took Steve's hands into both of his. "I'll stay up with you…"

"I can't ask you to do that…"

"You're not asking me to, I'm telling you I will. And next to that, now that I'm awake and registering what just happened, I really don't want to go back to sleep."

Steve sat up. "Let's go join the others on the bridge, then…Fury is probably interrogating at the moment…"

Tony nodded and they both got up.

The bridge was quiet. Clint, Natasha and Bruce were playing a card game. Steve sat in a chair and Tony stood behind him, staring at the game on the table. "I couldn't get them to play strip poker," Clint said to Tony. Steve looked at Tony in confusion. "Strip poker?"

"Loong story." He sat in Steve's lap, who wrapped his arms around him. "So what are you stuck playing now? Go fish with a winning prize of shots?"

"Better! Go fish with a shot every time you have to draw."

Steve shook his head against Tony's back, chuckling softly. "You want in?"

"Though quite tempting, I have to refuse."

Clint shrugged. "What about you, Steve?"

Tony turned to look at Steve, whose stare was blank and pointed at nothing in particular. He got up and knelt in front of him. He had Steve's head in his hands. "Hey, Steve…"

His voice didn't snap him back. Bruce watched with careful vigil. Tony patted Steve's face lightly. "Steve…hey, Steve!"

Steve flinched and looked around. "Whu-what? What happened?"

"One of the invisible German soldiers knocked him in the back of the head when we went to your room…" Clint said. Tony looked at Steve in a worried way.

"I told you I was going to be okay, it healed up…"

"It possibly made your condition worse, though," Natasha pointed out as she placed a set of cards on the table. Steve shook his head, and looked at Tony. "I'm fine…This is the first time it's happened in a few days! I-" He placed his head in his hands as pain throbbed. He closed his eyes. "Steve?"

Steve felt his body falling faster than he could catch himself. He could see himself falling, but it wasn't just his body falling. He was in the familiar scene of his nightmares, the HYDRA plane headed for New York. He couldn't hear a thing, he couldn't speak. He just knew it would be over within seconds, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The water. He could see the water growing closer and closer. He hit the water, and then felt cold. And then, he felt nothing at all.


	16. Chapter 16

Noise…He could hear it. Voices. _A radio? _He opened his eyes. He felt as if scenes were just replaying themselves in his mind, making him relive everything he had sought to get away from. He closed his eyes to blink, and reopened them to see a new scene. The train in the Alps. He was staring into the gorge. _Bucky! _He looked up. _Oh yeah…it's too late…_He was blinded by light, and then an entirely new scene played in his mind. But he was seeing it with his eyes. The room was dark. Bruce and Tony were at his side, saying something to him, but he didn't catch it. He couldn't hear it. He blinked, everything seemed to go in slow motion. He couldn't speak. Thoughts he registered in his mind were just conveyed as groans, or insignificant noises that set the bar at how bad off he really was. He closed his eyes. A swift shake brought him back to attention. Bruce seemed to dissaprove and said something to Tony about being gentle as far as Steve could tell, and Tony retorted something and then looked back at his companion, obviously in distress. He could see him mouthing his name. He still felt cold, no touches were felt after he was shaken. He noticed more people had gathered around, all in wonder and worry. Then he heard a faint beep. It was a very small sound, something that would have to be put in your ear in order for you to hear it. A few more beeps sounded after that. He figured he must have looked terrified because Tony looked as if he was trying to comfort him. Pain erupted in the back of his head, and when he cried out, and he could hear it. They could hear it. It wasn't a groan or a small noise. It was a cry, a yell, the signature of his pain. Tony grabbed his head and placed their foreheads together, saying things Steve still couldn't comprehend, but could hear a soft sound in his ears. His perception was returning, he could feel the warm touch of Tony's hands against his face. His hearing was returning, and things were going at normal time. "St-ve…-ve…Steve."

He tried to speak, with no avail. "Can you hear me, Steve? Say something, anything…make a sound, please!"

"To…ny…"

"Thank god…" Tony kissed his forehead gently, and looked into his eyes. "You scared me."

"I'm…sorry…"

"What happened?" Bruce asked.

"I…don't know…I blacked out…and saw flashes of things in my past…and when I opened my eyes, I couldn't hear, feel, or speak…I felt cold, and numb…I didn't hear anything you guys said up until a few minutes ago…"

Bruce looked stumped, and got up to try to figure it out. Tony looked up. "Bruce! He was shot during the battle!"

"What?" He walked back. "You didn't say anything?"

"It wasn't…a big deal. It healed on its own."

Clint and Natasha were watching Bruce pace. "It could have been something on the bullet…like, a slow acting poison like you were given, Tony…It put his body into shock…all of that coupled with exhaustion and loss of sleep, anxiety, and you have a perfect combination of what just happened."

Steve sat up and scratched his head. "I told you, Steve…"

"Okay, it's _possible._ But even slow acting poison would have acted before now, right?"

Bruce thought a moment. "Your adrenaline and metabolism…it would explain the blacking out…your body was working hard to stop it, and finally it had to give up."

Tony hugged Steve. "Don't ever…ever do that again, Steve…next time you might not wake up."

Steve looked at Bruce, Natasha and Clint, then nodded. "I won't do it again…"


	17. Chapter 17

Tony felt it would never end. S.H.I.E.L.D. had figured out a way to transport weaponry and resources through the country, and the fighting raged on. A few months had passed without any aid from other countries. The war was running them all rigid. They slept very rarely, and were constantly split up to fight in different places in the country, or transporting things on a Quinjet. The death counts were rising; not just Military. Civilians were caught in the line of fire.

Tony stared at Steve as he wrapped his arm with gauze. He was dirty, his face clean where his mask had been. He was expressionless, like he had become numb to it over the span of months, his eyes the only advocate of how he felt; tired, pained, like a soldier. Tony had never actually faught a war. He supplied weapons, and watched it all on a TV screen. He wasn't a soldier. "There…" He cut the tape and smoothed it out. "Clean and covered."

"Thanks…" Steve breathed, then closed his eyes. He opened them and looked at Tony. "What a way to spend a birthday…"

Tony looked at him curiously for a moment, then his eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Steve, I forgot-"

"Don't worry about it, Tony…I don't expect anyone to remember. We're all working so hard to win this damn war…I can't imagine if we lose…"

"We'll avenge the country…isn't that what we do?"

Steve shrugged and stood up. He grabbed his shield, which was propped up against the back of the chair he was previously sitting in, and flexed the fingers on the hand of the arm he had patched up. "I can't waste any more time…Thanks for you help…"

Tony grabbed his dirty face with both hands. "Please, be careful while I'm gone. I'll be protecting a transport headed for California…"

Steve nodded slightly. Tony pulled his face down and kissed him, tasting the dirt on his lips. "Kick their asses hard for me…"

"I'll do that…"

Steve adjusted his grip on the strap of his shield, pulled his mask on, then smiled. "I promise."

He walked to the door, which opened when he got close. "Good luck, Tony."

"You too, Steve…"

He left, leaving the room empty and quiet.

Tony liked to think as positive as possible. He knew Steve was Captain America, the super-soldier. From past experiences, he knew how strong he was, his limitations. But other times, it proved to have faults, like poison. Some wounds would heal slower than others. It made him nervous to think Steve was without the other Avenger's aid on the battle field, even though he knew he had done it before, and HYDRA weaponry was pretty advanced for his time. But the combined forces of Germany and Russia were overwhelming to the United States Armed Forces, whose numbers were depleting everyday.

The Quinjet he was on flew over the land. He checked the supplies over and over, expecting something to happen. He had a way with having the best of luck when it came to military ordeals. The Quinjet lost altitude slowly, and then landed in a Military airspace in California. Tony stood around watching as the cargo was taken off and haded over to officers. He scoped out the area, making sure it was clear and secure.

With a mission success, he leaned up against a wall and let the faceplate open on his Iron Man suit. The soldiers that had been onboard were at the base in California, having been taken over to do so. He was alone, except for the pilots. There was static in his ear piece, and then Fury's voice took over. "Stark!" His voice was urgent, and lost all it's usual collectiveness. He heard a gun shot. "You can't come back to base, we've been completely compromised!"

"What's happening?"

"Tobias and his assistant…they had tracking devices on. They're soldiers tracked them and waited until you all were separated to attack…"

Tony walked up to the front. "Change of plans," he said to the pilots. They looked at him. "Fly me over base, but DO NOT LAND. They've been compromised. I'm going to jump when we get there…so once I'm out, GO."

They nodded. "Yes sir."

"Just hold out," Tony said into his mic. "I'll be there momentarily."

"We're doing the best we-"

"Nick?"

The line was shut down. "Shit…"

He saw aircrafts flying toward them. "Forget what I just said!" He pressed a button and the ramp opened. "I'm jumping NOW. Get ready to GET OUT."

He jumped off the ramp and into the sky, propelling himself toward the enemy aircrafts with his repulsors. The Quinjet peeled off from its course and went another direction. He set off missiles that hit directly in an engine. The plane veered to the side, but even in its state, the pilot shot at him. He dodged the fire and shot off more missiles at the plane, causing it to blow up in air. He turned around after hearing a few shots be fired off and saw three more aircraft. "Oh boy…"

He quickly propelled himself through the air, away from the approaching aircraft. He maneuvered around bullets. He heard an explosion and turned his head in time to see the plane fall and more fire come from the Quinjet he had jumped from. "Whoo-hoo!"

He set a repulsor blast off at another plane, and it was also hit by the Quinjet's fire. The plane crashed into the last one and they plummeted to the ground. Tony flew into the Quinjet and closed the ramp. "Sorry, sir…but we weren't going to let you get _all _the glory."

The faceplate lifted and he laughed slightly. "Of course not…how far are we from base?"

"A few minutes…Colonel Fury contacted us on behalf of your plan. He also wanted you to know that Thor joined the fight, but your help would still be appreciated."

"Of course…And this time, don't come back."

"Colonel Fury told us to stay in the area incase he needed an arial strike."

He walked to the back of the Quinjet and opened the ramp. He let the face plate close. From their position in the air, he could hear the fighting below. He jumped, and propelled, then landed with dead accuracy, taking out a German soldier with his foot. He shot repulsor blasts repeatedly, and set off tiny rockets. Thor caught up to him on the battle field. "Man of Iron! I am so glad to see you're alright."

"Yeah, you too…so what's been going on around here, Brawny?"

"These soldiers will not stop coming! Is this a normal occurance for you on Earth?"

"Well, considering half the reason we're in the United States of America was war, then yes."

"It seems so petty to fight against each other. You live on the same Earth!"

Tony took out a few more guys with missiles. "Yeah? It's just human nature!"

He shot off a repulsor blast and cleared an area. Thor didn't pursue it any further, and used Mjolnir to take out more soldiers. Tony heard the whirring of a weapon charging up. He turned quickly, and the guy went to fire, but a large shadow cast over them. Tony looked up and Hulk crashed into the ground and a couple soldiers. "Convenient…"


	18. Chapter 18

Steve stood behind a pillar loading a gun. He was fighting on the steps of the nation's capitol. "Sir!" a younger man called from behind another pillar. "Any longer, and they'll win this war by taking the capital!"

"Not on my watch…" He cocked the gun and jumped out from behind the pillar. Bullets stopped against his shield, the paint being scratched off. He shot at a few soldiers, hitting them dead on. The young soldier joined in fire as well. American troops were holding out against the combined German and Russian forces.

* * *

Another few weeks passed, and the capitol was under siege. Steve was running low on men, amunition, and food. He grimaced as a bomb went off nearby. He heard a click, and he turned fast, only to be facing Tony. He blinked. "What are you doing here!"

"I thought I'd bring you help."

From over the capitol, the Hulk flew. Lightning struck, and Thor appeared. He breathed a long breath of relief. "Thank you, Tony…but…you're not suited up. It's dangerous for you out on the battle field!"

"I don't intend on fighting…and I don't intend on you fighting either."

He walked forward and took hold of Steve's masked face. "I can't stand to look into those baby blues and see pain…"

He pushed the mask off, then returned his hands to his half clean, half dirty face. "You need a shower, for God's sake!"

Steve half smiled. "Yeah, kinda…"

"Kinda? You've been out here for weeks!"

"Okay, I do."

"Really."

Steve laughed. A bomb went off nearby, and he grabbed Tony. Tony felt comfortable being back in his strong grip. He wrapped his arms around him. "I miss you, Steve…"

Steve's tenseness didn't lift. He was on the battlefield, and Tony knew he had to get him off. He tried to pull him forward, but was pushed away and he toppled backwards onto the ground. Before he could ask, a gun shot was heard. He sat up quickly. "Steve!"

Steve put a hand to his chest, and used his other to grab his shield and throw it in the direction from which the bullet came. The sniper was exposed, and fell to the ground. The shield flew back, but hit a pillar as its owner fell to his knees. Tony scrambled to get off the ground and knelt in front of Steve. "Steve…"

His companion was silently panicking, sweat dripping down his face as he realized his normal functions weren't kicking in as they should. Tony's mind was working at God Speed. He grabbed his transmitter. "Natasha! I need that Quinjet on the ground now!"

"_What happened?_"

"Steve's been shot…and it's not healing…"

"_How bad is it?_"

Since he was shot, he had said nothing, but Steve finally managed to conjure up his words. "Help me!"

It was desperate and panicked, a tone Tony, nor Natasha, had ever heard from him before. Tony actually felt tears pricking at his eyes. "_I'll be right there…_"

He dropped the transmitter and grabbed Steve's face. "You're going to be fine…"

He placed a hand over Steve's on his chest. "I promise…"

* * *

The Quinjet landed out in front of the capital building. Natasha and Clint appeared running up the steps. "Tony!"

Clint knelt down. "Let's not waste time here…" He took hold of one of Steve's arms. Tony moved over and grabbed the other. They pulled him to his feet. Natasha grabbed the shield from where it lay, forgotten. They lugged him inside the aircraft and Clint took over piloting, while Natasha helped to wrap up Steve's chest, at least to stop the bleeding for a little while. "Hey, Fury! We're coming in…have a medic team on the deck."

"_Who now?_"

Clint looked back at Steve passed out, his head on Tony's shoulder and Natasha keeping a vigil. "…Steve."

Fury stayed silent a few moments, taking in the tone of Clint's response. "_Medics are on their way to the deck, Agent Barton…_"

"Thank you, sir…" He closed the line. "ETA is two minutes…"

Natasha walked up. "One minute…"

The Helicarrier was back in the sky, Tony had fixed it before he had gone to see Steve. They landed and the ramp opened. The medics took Steve to get care. Natasha, Tony and Clint walked down the ramp to meet Fury at the bottom. "Agent Barton and I will return to the battlefield with Bruce and Thor…"

Tony walked forward. "I'll join you…just let me suit up."

Natasha handed Fury the shield, then walked back on board.


	19. Chapter 19

Tony and Natasha stared at the soldiers in front of them. "Uh…This is a lot of…"

"Resistance?" Natasha added.

"I guess…"

Clint held his bow up. "Whatever, let's put them to sleep."

"We have our orders, Clint…We need to get to the main man in charge."

"We can put these guys to sleep to do it!"

Tony hovered above them. "Have fun you two…I'm going to get a head start…"

Natasha scowled. "No way, Stark! He's my dead man!" She hopped up and grabbed onto his leg. Clint shot off an arrow full of sleeping gas. "Nighty-night, cupcake!"

Soldiers left and right fell as he ran through the ranks. Natasha was still holding onto Tony's leg as he flew. "You're a cheater, Stark!"

"I'm a winner, Ms. Romanoff!"

The front of the building exploded as the Hulk ripped through and started to smash the soldiers. "We'll be DEAD if we don't move!" Clint called up.

Natasha reached down and grabbed Clint. They all entered a long hallway with lights in the walls. It looked like a tunnel underground. Natasha and Clint hopped down and Tony landed on his feet in front of a large steel door. It conveniently opened and the young soldier behind it looked at them in fear. "Hey…" Clint said, then proceeded to punch his lights out. Natasha rushed in, guns up. Clint was beside her, bow up and ready. Tony had weapons mobilized from his suit as he walked inside. "Don't try anything…You do, you die. It's simple, really."

The leader stood up, masked and cloaked to hide his identity. "Guards, stand down…" He walked down some steps. "I will surrender…seeing as you've survived this long…"

Tony smirked. "Good choice."

They took him into custody aboard a Quinjet. "What do you say, guys? Let's go home, celebrate with a really big party, and then take the rest of the month off."

Clint slid onto a seat, dropping his bow in exhaustion. "Definitely…"

Natasha sat next to him. "The rest of the month off sounds nice…maybe go on a vacation somewhere that hasn't been battle destroyed…"

"Canada," Clint said. "Niagara Falls is nice."

She smiled and closed her eyes. "Sounds good, then…What about you, Tony?"

"I don't know…"

Bruce walked on. "Why not take Steve? I'm sure he'll be aching to get out of the watchful eye of S.H.E.I.L.D."

* * *

Steve awoke days later in the dark. He looked around to try to deduce where he was from anything he could find. A small light turned on outside a door and the door opened. A light flipped on and Bruce was walking toward him. "You're awake…How do you feel?"

"Regardless of the fact I was shot in the chest? Okay."

Bruce half smiled. "You're alive, though…Tony, Natasha and Clint all returned to the battle…I came here to help you…Do you need anything?"

He shook his head. "No…Nothing but to be able to get back out there…"

"You're a soldier…It's to be expected…You can't leave here, not until you've healed."

"Why aren't my normal functions working?"

"There was a toxin in your blood that I found…I counteracted it, but it will take a bit to kill all of it…I knew something wasn't right-"

The door opened. "Dr. Banner!"

Steve and Bruce looked at the man, who had a very big smile on his face. "Director Fury asked for you both…"

They looked between each other. Bruce helped Steve up and pulled forward the IV stand. Steve gripped it and held onto it as they walked to the bridge. Tony looked over, unsuited, and smiled. "It's all over, Steve…We won."

"What? We won? How?"

"We infiltrated the main Russian facility and took the leader out…Like you said at the beginning, without a leader they have no orders. They had to surrender after that."


	20. Chapter 20

Prologue:

The Avengers all ended up taking a vacation to Niagara Falls. Clint jumped into the pool, splashing Natasha, who was sitting at the edge. "You're dead, Barton!" She plunged in after him.

Bruce watched them with mounting curiosity. Tony sat at the edge at the deeper end of the pool. Steve surfaced and smiled. "It's really nice, Tony…You're sure you won't swim?"

"I'm sure."

Steve pulled himself out of the water and sat next to him. Tony looked at him and his stupid grin. He put a hand on the back of Steve's head, and shoved him back in the water. He surfaced and laughed. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Tony stood up and walked away. Steve looked back in the spot where tony had been. "Tony?"

He heard something behind him and he turned, but not fast enough to have seen Tony launch himself at him. They crashed together and sunk for a bit to the bottom, then swam back to the surface. "That was uncalled for!"

"You made me do it!"

"How?"

"You just did…"

Steve grabbed him and pulled him close. "I did now? What else do I make you do?"

Tony grabbed his head and kissed him. "That…"

Steve smiled, and returned him a kiss; long and heartfelt.

"HEY! YOU TWO! NOT IN THE POOL, OKAY? WE LIKE TO SWIM HERE."

Natasha was walking away before she had finished speaking. Tony was to the edge and Steve was going after him. "Tony…"

"I WILL KILL YOU, NATASHA!"

Clint got in front of Tony. "She's right, you know…"

Tony pushed him into the pool, laughing. Steve grabbed him from behind. "We can always take it somewhere else…"

It stalled Tony's thoughts a moment. "Fine…"

Natasha walked out. "Thank you for not dirtying the pool…"

Only for a moment.

* * *

The end...I was stuck on these last two chapters...And distracted.


End file.
